Current Affairs 8th March 2025
Current affairs 8th March 2025 by Saurabh Pandey Sir
Introduction to Delimitation in India
Delimitation is an intricate process crucial for the democratic framework of India. It involves redrawing the boundaries of electoral constituencies to ensure fair representation based on population changes. The essence of delimitation lies in its ability to maintain equity in political representation, ensuring that every vote holds equal weight. Objective: To adjust constituencies based on the most recent census data, thus reflecting population shifts. Significance: It plays a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape, influencing election outcomes, and ensuring that governance remains representative of the populace. Historical Context The history of delimitation in India is marked by several significant milestones: First Delimitation Commission (1952): Established to redraw constituency boundaries postindependence.
Subsequent Delimitation Commissions: Conducted in 1963, 1973, and 2002, each aimed at addressing the demographic changes. These changes have often sparked political debates, notably with certain states feeling disadvantaged in the process. Article 82 The Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census. Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission. Article 170. The states also get divided into territorial constituencies after every Census. 1953 The first delimitation commission based on census 1951 data was headed by Justice N Chandrasekhara Aiyar. Fixed the Lok Sabha Seats at 494. 1963 Second Delimitation Commission based on 1961 census. Increased the Lok Sabha seats from 494 to 522. 1973 Third Delimitation Commission based on 1971 census headed by Justice J L Kapur. Increased the seats of the Lok Sabha from 522 to 543 and assembly seats from 3771 to 3997. 42nd Amendment Act 1976 froze any further delimitation of constituencies for elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies until the 2001 Census of India. This was to encourage population control measures of states. 2002 There were no delimitation exercises after 1981 and 1991 censuses. The Fourth Delimitation Commission was based on the 2001 census data and headed by Justice Kuldeep Singh.
